Bulgaria Driver CPC cheat sheet

Braking distance grows with the square of speed: doubling speed roughly quadruples braking distance; total stopping distance = reaction distance + braking distance.

Reaction distance in metres ≈ speed (km/h) ÷ 10 × 3, so at 90 km/h a 1-second reaction covers about 25 m.

Safe following gap in seconds ≈ speed (km/h) ÷ 10, giving a 2-second minimum on dry roads and 4 seconds on wet roads.

Kinetic energy rises with the square of velocity, so a 20% speed increase raises crash energy by about 44%.

Engine braking on a long downgrade: select a lower gear and use the retarder or exhaust brake; continuous service-brake use risks fade from overheating.

Aquaplaning threshold falls with tyre wear and low inflation; partial hydroplaning can begin well below 90 km/h on standing water.

Load centre of gravity height and lateral acceleration determine rollover risk; a high centre of gravity lowers the critical cornering speed.

Blind-spot geometry: mirrors leave zones beside and directly behind the cab; a shoulder check or mirror adjustment is required before lane changes.

EU driving rules: daily driving maximum 9 hours, extendable to 10 hours twice per week; weekly driving maximum 56 hours; two consecutive weeks maximum 90 hours.

Daily rest: 11 hours regular, reducible to 9 hours no more than three times between weekly rests; split daily rest is 3 hours plus 9 hours.

Weekly rest: 45 hours regular; reduced to 24 hours with compensation taken en bloc before the end of the third week following the week concerned.

Breaks: after 4.5 hours driving a 45-minute break, or a split of 15 minutes then 30 minutes, both taken in that order.

A driver card is personal and non-transferable; driving without a card inserted must be recorded manually on printouts or in the record sheet.

ADR: orange plates front and rear, hazard identification number above UN number; the transport document must accompany the load.

Load securing: the required lashing force depends on cargo mass and friction coefficient; low-friction surfaces need more lashings or anti-slip mats.

Driver qualification card (code 95) must be carried; periodic training is 35 hours per 5 years, and the card is valid for the driver's licence period.

Fatigue: after about 17 hours awake, impairment can approach that of a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%; microsleeps last seconds and are uncontrollable.

Caffeine delays sleep onset but does not remove sleep debt; only sleep restores performance, and a 15-20 minute nap gives temporary benefit.

Alcohol elimination is roughly 0.10-0.15 g/L per hour; black coffee, cold air and showers do not accelerate it.

Defensive driving: scan 12-15 seconds ahead, keep escape space, and treat junctions as the highest-risk conflict points.

Eco-driving: progressive acceleration, early upshifting around 1,200-1,500 rpm, and anticipation can cut fuel use by 5-15%; idling wastes about 0.5-1 L per hour.

Load planning: distribute mass evenly, keep the heaviest items low and over the drive axles, and respect axle and gross weight limits.

Customer service and logistics: confirm delivery windows, temperature-controlled cargo integrity, and seal numbers before departure and at handover.

Environmental compliance: Euro emission standards govern NOx and particulates; AdBlue (urea) dosing in SCR systems reduces NOx and must not be diluted.

Pre-trip checks: tyre pressure and tread depth, lights and indicators, brake air pressure or fluid level, oil and coolant, mirrors, wipers, and load security.

Minimum legal tread depth for heavy goods vehicles is 1 mm across three-quarters of the tread width; tyre pressures are checked cold.

Air-brake systems: pressure must build to the governor cut-out, typically around 8-8.5 bar; a low-pressure warning below roughly 4.5-5.5 bar signals danger.

Diesel particulate filter regeneration requires adequate exhaust temperature; repeated short trips can cause soot loading and dashboard warnings.

Coolant overheating causes: low coolant, failed thermostat, blocked radiator, or a slipping fan drive; never open a hot pressurised cooling system.

Brake fade is caused by heat; symptoms include a long pedal and reduced retardation; cooling and engine braking restore performance.

Tyre blowout response: hold the steering wheel firmly, avoid hard braking, ease off the accelerator, and steer to a safe stop.

Dashboard warning colours: red means stop as soon as safe, amber means caution and check, green or blue indicates a system is operating.

Speed and injury severity: pedestrian fatality risk rises steeply above 50 km/h impact speed; at 30 km/h most pedestrians survive.

Following-distance rule in seconds equals speed in km/h divided by 10; add one second for rain and two or more for ice or poor visibility.

Junction discipline: mirror, signal, manoeuvre; give way to traffic already on the roundabout and to the right where the general rule applies.

Overtaking: only with clear sight lines and sufficient gap; heavy vehicles need far longer overtaking distances because of limited acceleration.

Accident scene: secure the site, warn traffic, call emergency services, give first aid within competence, and exchange details without admitting liability.

Blind spots and vulnerable road users: cyclists and motorcyclists are hidden beside the cab and can be missed at roundabouts; check mirrors twice.

Skid control: release the brake to restore steering, look and steer where you want to go; avoid sudden inputs on low-friction surfaces.

Winter conditions: stopping distances can increase several times on ice; use gentle steering and braking and fit winter tyres or chains where required.

Tachograph record types: driving, other work, availability, and rest; availability can be counted as break only in specified circumstances.

Manual entries must cover all periods not recorded automatically, including ferry or train crossings, and must be made at the start of the shift or on the card.

A daily driving period is the time between the end of one daily or weekly rest and the start of the next; multi-manning allows 30 hours for a daily rest period.

Weekly driving limit is 56 hours; fortnightly is 90 hours; a week runs from Monday 00:00 to Sunday 24:00.

Compensation for reduced weekly rest is added en bloc to another rest period of at least 9 hours before the end of the third following week.

Tachograph printouts must be signed and kept for at least one year; records are produced on request during roadside checks.

A card left in the tachograph during rest is correct; removing it during the shift can create an unrecorded gap requiring manual entry.

Digital tachograph data must be downloaded by the operator at least every 90 days from the vehicle unit and every 28 days from the driver card.